HCR326

WHEREAS, Chapter 323F, Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS), relating to the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation (HHSC), was enacted by Act 262, Special Session Laws of Hawaii 1996 (Act 262), for the purpose of administering the State’s community hospitals; and

WHEREAS, HHSC was envisioned as a new corporate structure that would be freed from unwarranted bureaucratic oversight; and

WHEREAS, Act 262 created HHSC to operate the existing community hospitals under a Board of Directors and empowered HHSC to perform many functions consistent with those of other public corporations established to operate health care systems with relative autonomy; and

WHEREAS, Act 229, Session Laws of Hawaii 1998, was enacted to amend laws concerning HHSC by establishing an Executive Public Health Management Advisory Committee, empowering the chief executive officer of HHSC to establish certain exempt management positions and enabling HHSC to negotiate most terms of collective bargaining agreements; and

WHEREAS, over the past ten years, HHSC has been able to achieve substantial improvements in operations and facilities by using the structure and powers provided by statute; and

WHEREAS, some members of the management of HHSC, Regional Management Advisory Committees, and HHSC medical staff have recently sought greater autonomy for HHSC regions; and

WHEREAS, there has also been heated debate during the 2007 legislative session--within and without the Legislature--over whether:

(1) The establishment of regional affiliate corporations would create such dysfunction and conflict that it would cause the HHSC system to fail and collapse; and

(2) Regional autonomy can be appropriately provided through regional boards or whether regional autonomy appropriately requires the establishment of separate regional affiliate corporations;

and

WHEREAS, leaders of HHSC and the Legislature believe that the arguments must be resolved for HHSC to evolve and improve as a system; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2007, the Senate concurring, that the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives convene a joint task force (Task Force), consisting of no more than three members from each house, during the interim between the 2007 and 2008 legislative sessions; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of the Task Force include:

(1) The chair and vice chair of the Senate standing Committee on Health;

(2) The chair and vice chair of the House standing Committee on Health;

(3) One member from each HHSC Regional Management Advisory Committee;

(4) Two members from the Board of Directors of HHSC; and

(5) One representative from the Healthcare Association of Hawaii;

and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Task Force is exempt from Chapter 92, HRS; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Task Force review the concerns raised by the Maui Region Public Health Facility Management Advisory Committee, Executive Public Health Management Advisory Committee, and members of the Board of Directors of HHSC; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Director of the State Health Planning and Development Agency (SHPDA) is requested to assist the Task Force in the review of Chapter 323F, HRS; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Task Force submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature at least 20 days before the convening of the Regular Session of 2008; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Health, chief executive officer of HHSC, mayor of each county, Director of SHPDA, administrator of the State Procurement Office, President of the state Senate, and Speaker of the state House of Representatives.

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

Procurement exemptions; Joint legislative task force

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	326
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007
STATE OF HAWAII